Siblings' Weekend

Aptly dubbed "What About Me?" our sibling weekends support brothers and sisters of existing campers, waitlisted campers and community families who are resourceful enough to find us. The weekends afford brothers and sisters of children with complex neurological challenges the opportunity to share experiences and learn skills and strategies to relate more compassionately with their brother or sister. Siblings of our 'camp kids' suffer fear, embarrassment, anxiety, loneliness and stigma from peers and the greater society they encounter. They are also among the most deep thinking and sophisticated children we have ever encountered. Many of our siblings are shunned by peers because their siblings’ challenges 'may be contagious' or they assume the neurotypical sibling is just like his/her brother or sister with disabilities themselves. Often they cannot have friends visit or do school group work at home because the special needs sibling is volatile or possibly immunosuppressed and cannot tolerate house guests without risking aggressive meltdowns, illness or worse. Siblings are affected in many ways - emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual, and require support on each of these levels. The needs of these "forgotten" children are consistently ignored by families who by necessity put the lion's share of their limited financial and emotional resources into their child with severe, multiple and compelling needs. Camp Winston consistently receives positive feedback from parents regarding their child's increased understanding, patience and ability to demonstrate new strategies. This, along with a boost in self-esteem translates to improved family relationships for everyone